Very much a place apart is Thorndene in Monkstown, Co Dublin. The secluded five-bedroom period house is tucked away at the top of a short shared driveway off the Monkstown Road, close to the village. It is for sale by private treaty through joint agents Finnegan Menton and HOK Residential, who are seeking offers in excess of £1.2 million (€1.52m).

Built in the 1840s, the detached home extends to 2,600 sq ft and is in many ways Georgian rather than Victorian in terms of compactness and design. Set on half an acre, it is approached through wrought-iron security gates, with a gravelled carriageway leading to a forecourt with feature fountain and off-street parking.

According to agent Ian Finnegan the two-storey house has been extensively refurbished by the present owner and most period features remain. The entrance hall has ceiling coving and a centre rose as well as solid wooden flooring running throughout the ground floor.

To the right off the hall is a double drawingroom with original panelled folding doors so the room can be turned into two smaller rooms, each with separate original doors. The rooms have matching marble fireplaces with brass insets, ceiling coving and centre roses and is wallpapered in a rich yellow.

Further down the hall is the diningroom, a fine room with deep red walls, which would lend itself to having French doors leading into the garden. The country-style kitchen is at the opposite side of the hall. It is fairly spacious and has solid pine fittings, a Belfast sink, Aga and a tiled floor. It is divided into eating and working areas by a breakfast bar. Off the kitchen is a series of rooms comprising a larder, utility and store rooms. The ground floor level also has a toilet.

Upstairs are five bedrooms. Three are good-sized doubles with features such as fireplaces and ceiling coving. Bedrooms four and five are smaller and lead into each other. A dividing wall could be removed to create one larger room. Also at this level are two bathrooms. Both have Jacuzzi baths and are attractively tiled, and there is also a walk-in airing cupboard. The large south-facing rear garden consists of a lawn surrounded by raised flower beds, rockeries and mature shrubs and trees. Also here is green house and close to the house as well as an inner courtyard and outhouses.